I rise today to pay tribute to the thousands of acres of protected land that will be lost to the government’s plan to pave over the greenbelt, and to give voice to the millions of people in this province who love the greenbelt. They want the Premier to keep his promise. Over and over again, inside and outside this House, the Premier explicitly promised to protect the greenbelt from development. There’s a reason these lands are protected. It’s the land that protects us from expensive floods and that cleans our drinking water. It’s home to so many places where people love to spend time with their family. It’s home to the farmland that feeds us and supports our economy. All of this is under threat so that a handful of land speculators can turn millions into billions, and the rest of us will pay the price in longer commutes, higher flood costs, increased property taxes and reduced food security.

Speaker, there are 88,000 acres of land already approved for development within existing urban boundaries, where we can build affordable homes in communities where people want to live.

We simply cannot afford to continue to lose 319 acres of farmland each and every day.

So, on behalf of my constituents and millions of Ontarians, we say, Premier, keep your promise. Keep your hands off the greenbelt.